


Successful Failure

by Inuy21



Series: Cullen Rutherford/Evelyn Trevelyan [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Arguing, Confident Cullen, Evelyn is pretty bad at sneaking things past Cullen, F/M, Friendship, Teasing, perhaps somewhere deep down she did mean to get caught
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 06:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11753745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inuy21/pseuds/Inuy21
Summary: Sneaking an injured creature into Skyhold just got a little harder.





	Successful Failure

**Author's Note:**

> This was done for an August Challenge on Tumblr. Day 9: An Argument

Evelyn rode into Skyhold, soothing her saddlebag. No one seemed to notice or care except her horse that kept shying whenever the saddlebag kicked and squeaked as it tried to escape. Evelyn bit her lip, eyes forward as she tried to pretend nothing was wrong. Nothing was wrong! She just needed to make it through the gates and out of the stables before Cullen joined them. 

“Oh no,” she murmured as she saw him standing by the courtyard gate surrounded by a few of his men and some of the boys that helped worked the stables. 

Maker she was in trouble! So, what to do in such a time? Put a smile on and hope he wouldn’t notice or get too mad when he found out—because Cullen always learned the truth. Sera came trotting up beside her as they slowly crossed the bridge, a cheeky smile on her lips as the elf looked between Inquisitor and Commander. 

“Ohhhh! Quizzy’s in trouble for sure this time!” she chortled, sharing a laugh with Bull who was behind them. Then a lewd look crossed Sera’s face as she turned back to Evelyn. “Maybe she just wants Cully Wully to feel her up a bit. Betcha that’s what this is all about.”

Heat rushed up Evelyn’s neck and face. “Sera!” she chided. “If you could please just keep quiet.”

“Or what? Her high and mighty ladyship gonna punish me?” The elf made a fart-like noise with her mouth. “Doubt it. Quizzy’s too nice,” Sera added with a cackle before riding up ahead of the group. 

“You should know better than to reprimand Sera,” Dorian said as he took the elf’s spot beside her. “Though, she does have a point in her favor this time, Inquisitor.” The mage eyed the now squealing saddlebag and rolled his eyes. “I don’t see why you thought it necessary to bring that rodent back with us.”

Evelyn pouted, petting over the saddlebag. “One of your magic spells hit it,” she hissed. “I couldn’t just…”

“Leave it to recover on its own like a wild animal will do?” Dorian questioned good naturedly, not at all put out at her accusation. “There are thousands of those,” he waved his fingers in the direction of her bag, “things running all over Thedas. I don’t see why this one needed saving.”

Evelyn scoffed and looked at Bull for help. The Qunari raised his hands and shook his head. 

“Sorry, boss, you’re on your own with this one. I already suggested we cook it up and eat it. Could’ve made some jerky for the journey back.” When Evelyn stuck her tongue out at Bull, he laughed. “For once we all seem to be in agreement except you. Though, I think Sera has the right of it and you’re just looking for a reason to have Cullen spank you.”

Another wave of heat rushed up her cheeks and into her hair. “Maker, I can’t deal with any of you anymore. You’re supposed to have your leader’s back during tough times!” Evelyn said with as much conviction as she could. 

“And when those times come, we will.” Dorian reached out to pat her thigh. “Unfortunately this is all on you and I’ll be waiting to see how our glorious Commander handles it,” he offered with a smile before riding ahead. 

Damn, damn, damn. She was in trouble—shit-deep, wading in water at the Fallow Mire trouble. So, the smile came back as she tried to look as relaxed as possible. Bull chuckled behind her. She shushed him from the corner of her mouth as she kept her eyes on Cullen. Oh he was going to kill her!

“Good luck, boss,” Bull said he passed by, gently patting the shivering saddlebag then greeting Cullen. 

It drew the Commander’s attention away for a moment and Evelyn almost reached in the bag to free the nug, but then it was too late. The rest of their troop was passing them by, some snickering while others maintained straight faces, and then Cullen was there. 

She gave the man a wide smile and he returned it, casual as could be even though the entire population of Skyhold knew they were more than just Inquisitor and Commander. Then the damned saddlebag rocked and squeaked from within. Golden eyes narrowed first at her then at the bag. 

“I thought we talked about this, Inquisitor,” Cullen said, eyes swinging back up to meet hers. 

Evelyn laughed nervously. “Perhaps, but you see….”

Cullen cut her off, “No, Inquisitor. You can’t keep bringing stray animals into Skyhold just because.”

“No, but…”

“It’s bad enough all the…mounts you’ve had us bring back. Small creatures that are meant for a light snack are not to be brought back to keep as pets,” he commanded as he unbuckled and reached into the pack, wrangling the squirming nug. 

“Cullen!” she protested, slightly offended because he was right. 

Before she could even reach for it, the nug was jumping out of his hand and to freedom. Evelyn frowned, turning in her saddle to watch the poor creature careen back across the stone bridge and hope that it would survive—though it was likely to be caught and cooked for supper one of these nights. 

“It was injured!” Evelyn cried, shooting a glare at Cullen, refusing to give up the fight just because he was right, dammit. “I was just going to bring it back and let it rest.”

Cullen scoffed. “The thing looked perfectly healthy to me, Evelyn. If it was so incapacitated that you caught it, then you should have used it for food.”

She couldn’t hold back the snarl that flared to life causing Cullen to look at her with a bit of concern. The air between them crackled with tension as they continued to stare at one another, refusing to be swayed. When the silence lingered, Evelyn jutted her chin in the air and prodded her horse to move forward. 

“Woah, nope, wait,” Cullen said as he grabbed hold of the reins and forced the animal to a stop. It nickered at him and rolled its eyes in the Commander’s direction. “Inquisitor stays here,” he instructed, motioning for one of the boys standing around to his side. 

Evelyn looked at Cullen from the corner of her eyes. “Excuse me, Commander?” she asked tone clipped and haughty. 

“You stay, the horse may go,” he repeated, feeling a bit foolish. He reached a hand up to her help her down, but Evelyn turned her nose further into the air and away from him. “Inquisitor,” he growled. 

She shooed him away. “I can dismount by myself.”

As Cullen backed off, murmurs and laughter could be heard behind him and he ruffled a bit but refused to acknowledge them. Evelyn, making sure that Cullen was far enough away, swung a booted foot around the back of the horse and stepped down to the ground with the help of the pommel. She stood her ground, back to Cullen, as the horse was led away by the boy. 

“You know you can’t keep bringing wild animals back to the keep. It doesn’t matter how injured or cute you may think they are,” Cullen started in, circling her, watching for the slump of her shoulders but they only stiffened as she straightened. He sighed. “They could be diseased,” he reasoned, “what would happen then?”

“I would never,” she started vehemently, grey eyes narrowing and hands clenching. She would be able to tell if an animal was sick, right? “You think it’s right to leave a wounded defenseless creature to its fate after you were the one who put it in that state?” she countered. “Besides, humans carry diseases, too,” she couldn’t help adding. 

Another sigh left Cullen as he paused behind her. “Humans can be quarantined, Evelyn. These creatures you keep bringing in run rampant through the keep until they’re caught and released back into their natural habitat.” As he circled her again, agitated, he caught the stubborn set of her jaw. “Look, if it upsets so much then put a salve on the animal and leave it where it belongs. I have no qualms about wanting to save an innocent life but if it’s not human then it belongs in the wild, not running around causing chaos in a fortified keep.”

“Fine,” she spit out. Tossing her chin in the air and to the side, she asked, “Is that all, Commander?”

“No,” he said, moving to stand right behind her. “You understand that I’ll be here, waiting, every time you come back from a mission, correct?”

Evelyn gave a sharp nod, lips sealed tightly. 

“I will have your bags checked before they pass through this gate,” he continued, stepping to stand beside her and glancing at her, catching the wrinkle of her nose. A half-smile tilted his lips. “And I will personally do a thorough inspection to make sure you aren’t trying to smuggle them in your clothes.”

Evelyn’s ears heated, glad they were hidden by her hair. “And if I refuse to be manhandled, suspected of transgressions…”

“That you’ve already made, may I remind you, Inquisitor,” he cut her off, moving to stand in front of her. 

She scoffed, her eyes rolling to the side. “Fine, then. If I still refuse to fall in line?”

Cullen chuckled, deep and low for only her to hear. “I’m quite looking forward to it if that’s the game you wish to play, Evelyn.” 

A gloved finger under her chin directed her burning, smiling face to meet his. “Bull suggested some spankings might be in order,” she whispered, the smile turning into a smirk. 

“I’ll take the suggestion under advisement,” he replied thoughtfully, hand pulling back and curling into a ball at his side. “For now, you are free to go as long as we have an understanding that there are to be no more wild animals—injured or not—brought back to Skyhold.”

“If I tame them before…”

“NO!” he roared. 

Half of the courtyard turned to look at the couple, eager eyes and ears waiting for a bit of gossip to share. Cullen ground his teeth, chastising himself for playing the fool. Evelyn grinned, hands folding behind her back as she rocked onto her heels. 

“Then I guess we’ll just have to keep playing, Commander,” she teased, more at ease even as Cullen turned a glare on her. 

“I would suggest, then, that your bottom be prepared to pay the price, Inquisitor,” he quipped back, a smirk tugging at the scar on his upper lip. “For I won’t go easy on you if you get caught again.”

A shiver of pleasure and anticipation rolled up her spine as she watched Cullen strut away. Oh, she was looking forward to getting caught again if that was going to her punishment! A throaty chuckle rumbled in her throat. She would have to remember to thank Bull later as she congratulated herself for even voicing the suggestion.

**Author's Note:**

> So this might be an overdone trope, but I couldn't resist with the way that Evelyn is wired, wanting to protect cute animals. 
> 
> Comments/critiques and kudos are always welcome!


End file.
